Fight against abuse: the Government unveils its national strategy

On March 25, the Minister of Elderly and Disabled People, Fadila Khattabi, presented the national strategy to combat abuse 2024-2027 to medico-social stakeholders. In five areas, it takes up some of the proposals made during the “General States of Mistreatment” which were held in 2023, following the Orpea nursing home scandal. Unannounced checks in establishments welcoming people with disabilities have been announced.

“Volunteers, elected officials, medico-social professionals, people concerned: the strategy we are presenting today was built with you. Concrete measures to strengthen controls, prevent the risk of mistreatment and free speech. The work continues! » It was in these terms that Fadila Khattabi, Minister of Elderly and People with Disabilities, addressed stakeholders on March 25 to present the National Strategy to Combat Abuse 2024-2027. Focused primarily on dependent elderly or disabled adults, this strategy is divided into 5 areas. It is the culmination of government commitments made in 2018 via different groups or working committees, and notably incorporates provisions initiated by the States General on mistreatment (March-October 2023).

The Minister recalled: “The tools we are putting in place are aimed both at the people concerned and at all the professionals and structures supporting them. This strategy is also part of the broader framework of a national, inter-ministerial mobilization of territories at the highest level of the State, with a real societal ambition for all vulnerable groups.

If the ambition is to build a sustainable public policy (axis 1 to 4), for the Minister it is also a matter of“to respond to the urgency of unacceptable life situations” (axis 5). Following the Orpéa affair, a systematic inspection of nursing homes was initiated. The Minister announced that they “will have all been checked by the end of 2024.” and “unannounced checks based on reports” will be carried out in establishments welcoming people with disabilities. A circular setting out the control guidelines will be distributed to all Regional Health Agencies (ARS).

A policy articulated in 5 axes

• Enforce people’s rights

1.1 Improve the information, expression and participation of people hosted in medical-social establishments, to free their voices and facilitate reporting of mistreatment.
1.2 Develop communication for all people who have difficulty expressing themselves verbally and make their needs, aspirations and expectations known.
1.3 Prevent and combat abuse at home.

• Equip ourselves with better tools to collect, monitor and respond to situations of mistreatment in the territories

2.1 Strengthen collaboration between competent authorities, at all levels
2.2 Centralize reports in one place
2.3 Facilitate reporting
2.4 Improve transparency

• Strengthen vigilance

3.1 Generalize checks on the criminal records of professional and volunteer workers working with vulnerable groups
3.2 Facilitate and simplify the vigilance of certain key professionals in contact with vulnerable people: doctors, legal representatives, banks
3.3 Mobilize law enforcement to prevent and combat abuse
3.4 Facilitate the legal process for elderly or disabled victims

• Promote a common culture of well-treatment and the power to act of people and professionals

4.1 Prevent stigmatization and change the general public’s view of advancing age or disability
4.2 Raise awareness and train establishment directors and professionals in the social, medico-social and care sectors in the prevention of mistreatment
4.2 Raise awareness and train establishment directors and professionals in the social, medico-social and care sectors in the prevention of mistreatment
4.3 Maintain the family ties of people hosted in establishments and guarantee enforceable visiting rights
4.4 Support the “power to act” of professionals and directors of establishments by drawing on the experience of the people trained and concerned 16

• Establish the long-term control policy for establishments welcoming the elderly and people with disabilities

5.1 Complete the control policy for all EHPADs in the country
5.2 Intensify control of establishments welcoming people with disabilities

• Find out more: National strategy to combat abuse 2024-2027, press kit, website of the Ministry of Labor, Health and Solidarity, and pdf below.